Surgical needle.



D. LUKENS. SURGICAL NEEDLE. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 4, 1914.

l 1 Qfifi 1 0., v Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

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lillf l'l lfllillil fldillfltd tILAItENCl-fi ID. LUKENS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO C. DEV-IITT LUKENS SURGICAL MANUFACTURING COLa'PANY, OE LOUIS. MISSOURI. A CORPORA- {MON or r/ixssounr.

SURGICAL NEEDLE.

ll artented Dec. 27%, fill t.

Application filed May 4, 1914. Serial No. 838,349.

To all "in (om it may; concern Be it known that l, ljnannn on D; Lunnns, a citizen of the United States, and residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Surgical Needles, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to needles, and more particularly to surgical needles.

ln suturing a wound, it is desirable that the needle holes made in the wound be as small as possible. Where an ordinary needle provided with an eve is used, the suture is, of course, doubled at-its point of connection with the needle, and this necessarily results in making the holes several times larger than the single strand of suture which is to unite the parts of the wound. This is not obviated by making the diameter of the needle larger, as has been the prae tice. Moreover, where the suture is passed loosely through the needle eye, the end is liable to slip through the eye and interrapt and prolong the 01 oration, which is not only painful for the patient, but often dangerous.

Some of the objects of this invention, therefore, are, to provide av surgical needle adapted to receive a. single strand of a suture, without doubling, which needle is constructed to positively grip and hold the suture assembled therewith while being passed tl'irough the tissue, which has a diameter practically the same as the suture,

' and which is smooth externally and free from projecting parts. I

Further objects will appear from the detail description, taken in. connectioh with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1. is plan View of needle enibodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a pfrspective'view, Fig. 3 is a View showing he suture attached to the needle, Fig i is an energed plan VlW of the head ofjthe needle, Fig. 5 is a side View of Fig. 4., Fig. 6 is an end view of Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is an enlarged side view showing the suture attached to the needle, and, Fig. 8 is an end View of Fig. 7'.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 10 designates a. needle shank having a point l1 and a head 1:3. Theneedle shank may he of any; desired term, that is, either straight occurred.

The head 12 is grooved as shown at 13 to provide a ll-shapcd socket for the suture.

This socket is formed by suitable dies, and, in the formation of this socket, the side walls or wings llthereof are drawn out so as to rise some distance beyond the contour of the needle, as shown in the drawing. 'lhese side walls are also notched transersely at or near their junction with the needle shank, as shown at 15, the notches extending preferably to the center of the shank, and being preferably V-shaped in form. The end wall 16 of the socket as shown preferably rises abruptly from the base of the socket at substantially right angles to the-longitudinal axis of the needle and is slightly rounded Where it merges into the shank, as shown at 17. The socket walls are drawn out very thin, and. these walls are left unhardened and. untcin oercd, so as to remain pliable.

In using this needle, the suture 18 is plaeed'in the socket 123 with its end abutting against the abrupt end wall-.16, and the side walls lot are then turned or bent, over the suture so as to grip the same, as shown in if 3, 7' and 8. This may be accoin. plished by means of a pair of pliers or any other suitable tool. The side Walls or Wings are preferably made long enough so that the edges will nearly come together, as shown in Fig. 8, whereby the socket will practically inclose the end ot the suture. The formation of the notch at the junction of the socket with the needle shank, not only permits the side Walls to extend be yond the contour of the needle shank, but also permits these side walls to he, thrned over uniformly to conform alongtheir en-- tire length to the contour of the needle shank. When, therefore, the suture is attached to the needle, the needle shank, incl uding the head, will have a uniform crosssection, devoid of projections liable to catch in the tissue. When the side Walls are turned over the suture, this suture will be slightly compressed, thereby causing the uncompressed end 19 thereof, which abuts against the end wall 16 opposite the notch,

to extend slightly into this notch and. act

as an additional holding means for retain ing the suture n position. The provision of the rounded surface it? increases this action, but not suliiciently tocause the end of the suture to project beyond the contour of the needle.

The Walls of" be made very thin, so that when the needle -1. socket can head is clamped on the suture, thereby slightly compressing the clamped end thereof, this'head will ha\e a diameter no greater than the diameter of the suture. The needle can, therefore, be so constructed as to have a diameter no greater than the suture. 'lhe suture will thus b i a simple continuation of the needle, and th s needle is de\oid of all projecting parts.

t is ()bHUUS that the notch 15 may be a mere transverse cut made at the junction oi the socket with the needle shank. Furthermore, the needle head, as linally formed, may have a nearly closed socket as shown in Fig. n, this. socket haring a diameter slightly greater than the suture to be used. In. a case, the suture can be clamped in position ly con pletel closing the socket. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is to be understood, there fore, that this 1nvention is not to be limited to the specific construction shown and described.

Having thus described the inventi0n,\vhat is claimed is:

A surgical needle adapted to receive a suture having, a shank portion and a head portion, said head portion being groored to form a substantially U-shaped socket, the side walls thereof being unluirdeiurd and untempered and drawn out beyond the con tour of the needle, said side walls being notched transversely near their juncture with the. needle shank, said notches being substantially V-shaped and extending to the center of the shank, the end wall of the socket being at right angles to the axis of the needle and slightly rounded where it merges into the shank, \i'herehy when the walls are turned over to conform to the contour of the needle shank the incloscd suture will. be slightly compressed and the uncompressed end thereof opposite the opening formed by said V-shaped notches will extend slightly into said opening" and act as an additional holding means for retaining the suture in position.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in the presence of these two witnesses.

CLARENCE D. LUKENS.

Witnesses:

J. H. BRUNINGA, HENRY Coonn. 

